Envelop-cabinet.



H. K. SMITH.

. ENVELOP CABINET. I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1909. 941,736. Patented N0v.3u,19o9.

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PHOo-UHQWS. WASHING' N H. K. SMITH.

ENVELOP CABINET. APPLIoATIoN FILED Enns, 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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HAMPTON K. SMITH, OF UNION, SOUTH CAROLINA.

ENVELOP-CABINET.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed February 5, 1909. Serial No. 476,219.

To all 107mmt't may concern:

Be it known that I, HAMPTON K. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at Ihiion, in the county of Union and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the aocompanying drawing.

My invention relates to envelop cabinets, and the primary object is to provide a device of this character that is designed to contain a number of envelops compact and intact, at the same time permitting of a facile withdrawal of one or more of said envelops according to the dictates of the usci'.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for inserting the surplus envelops in the cabinet in order that they may be again fed to the user, when it happens that more envelops are withdrawn from the cabinet than desired.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the cabinets that they may be placed in stacked relation, thus permitting a person to adapt one or more cabinets corresponding to the styles of envelops used.

The invention still further contemplates the incorporation of an ancillary receptacle which is devised to contain letter sheets or writing paper.

To the accomplishment of the recited object and others coordinate therewith, the preferred embodiment of my invention resides in that construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and ernbraced within the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plurality of the envelop cabinets arranged in stacked relation. Fig. 9. is a perspective view of the envelop cabinet and letter sheet container. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the envelop cabinet and letter sheet container. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device, and F ig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of joining the cabinets together.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a box having a general rectangular conformation and adapted to serve as the envelop cabinet. In proximity to the bot-tom of the box 5 I hingedly connect, as at 6, a door 7 which swings outwardly in a vertical plane and is equipped with a longitudinal kerf or slot 8 adjacent its upper edge, at which point it held temporarily locked by the angle piece 9, the latter lying contiguous said upper terminal of the door and the extending portion of the top of the box and being maintained in this relation by the fastening device 10. Approximately medially of the door 7 I preferably arrange a calendar pad 11, although it will appear that advertising matter or placards may be substituted withoutI departing from the spirit of my invention.

The lower ends 12 and 13 of the front and rear portions of the box are arranged in parallelism at a sharp declivity, and a bottom 14 is connected to said portion 13 and the side of the receptacle, and sufficiently remote at its forward end from the distal end of the angularly deflected portion 12 to permit the passage of one or more of the envelops 15, cut-out portions 1G and 17, having` any suitable ornamental contour, being arranged centrally of the respective terminals 12 and 13 to assist in this operation.

Adjacent the lower ends of the sides and at the extended ends of the top of the box are the oppositely disposed grooves 18 which are adapted to engage the complemental projections 19 of the companion boxes, when they are arranged in stacked or superimposed relation, as clearly exhibited in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The dual function of the angle piece 9 will appear manifest, as it serves not only as a suitable support for the fastening means 10 but engages the end of the projections 19 on opposite sides of the cabinet and thus obviates any possibility of the receptacles becoming disassembled from their stacked relation. It will be seen that by extending the side portions beyond the bottom 14 of the envelop cabinet proper I obtain supports for the cabinet, and in addition thereto provide means for joining the cabinets to one another. In this connection it will be noted that I preferably cover the bottom of the sides of the receptacle with a strip of felt 20, by virtue of which I may place the cabinets upon the surface of highly polished furniture with impunity.

Conjunctively with the envelop cabinet I utilize a receptacle 2l which may be secured to the rear thereof and designed to contain writing paper. This receptacle 21 is equipped with a hinged lid 22 and has a rectangular contour so that when it is assembled with the box it has all appearances of being a component part thereof. This letter sheet container may be dispensed with when desired. On the other hand, if it is proposed to use the letter cabinet only, I provide the upper extended portion of the back thereof with a pair of apertures 23 which will obviously facilitate the hanging to nails, screws, and equivalent supports on the wall.

In practical operation the door 7 is opened and a quantity of envelops placed within the receptacle 5, which in all respects forms a chute. The door is subsequently locked by the angle piece 9 and fastening device l0, whereupon the envelops are free to be withdrawn intermediate the angularly deflected portion l2 and the bottom 14E. This operation is readily effected by simply grasping the envelops medially of the opening 17, and one or more may be withdrawn, as the occasion may require, the remaining envelops gravitating and caused to occupy the position that was previously held by the envelop, or envelops, withdrawn. If it should occur that one is in great haste and withdraws more envelops than are absolutely necessary for the purpose for which he intends the same, the other envelope may be inserted in the kerf 8 at the top portion of the door 7.

It should be understood that in its broader aspects my invention comprchends the cmployment not only of the means described, but of equivalent means for performing the recited functions. While the arrangement shown is thought, at the present time, to be preferable, it is desired to reserve the right to effect such modifications and variations thereof as may come fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A letter cabinet comprising a chute, provided with a door, the opposite sides of said chute being extended beyond the bottom, means carried by the top and extended portions of said chute for facilitating the arrangement of a plurality of the cabinets in stacked relation, and locking means' common to the door and the superimposed cabinet.

2. A. cabinet comprising a box having the transverse ends of its top grooved and the inner surface of the sides also transversely grooved adjacent to their lower ends, a door hinged to the lower portion of said box and provided with a kerf communicating with the interior thereof, and an angle slate carried by the free edge of said c oor and adapted to engage with the grooves in the lower portion of a cabinetwhereby a plurality of cabinets may be held in stacked condition.

A cabinet provided with a delivery chute, a door for the same, and a locking plate carried by the cabinet for holding the door closed and also serving to ret-ain a similar cabinet in a stacked position upon the first-mentioned cabinet.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAMPTON K. SMITH.

litnesses J. D, ARTHUR, C. M. MCVHIR'IER. 

